An Angel To The Rescue
by Nitrowugs
Summary: Angel really is an angel at heart.


An Angel To The Rescue

Author: Nitrowugs

Rating: PG for a few off-color words

Pairings: None

Feedback: Please. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with AtS and BtVS and no infringement is intended.

Distribution: Please ask and let me know where it's going.

Written: 05/21/2012

Summary: Angel really is an angel at heart.

Part 1

The AI team was in Angel's office, now Wesley's office, discussing assignments for the night when the phone on Cordelia's desk rang. Since he was closest to the door, Wesley excused himself and went to answer the phone thinking it might be another client. The voice on the phone was that of a frantic young man; he was trying to get in touch with Gunn. Apparently Gunn's old crew had received word that there was a planned vampire attack on them tonight and they needed Gunn's help. Wesley remained calm on the phone and made no indication to the others what the call was about when he returned to the office. He rejoined the meeting as if nothing had happened.

Angel ended the meeting abruptly, excused Cordelia and Gunn and asked Wesley to stay. After the office door was closed, Angel asked casually, "Do we have another client? Was the call from someone needing our help?"

Forgetting that Angel could hear the phone conversation, Wesley lied and told him that it was a personal call that did not require further action.

"You're lying, Wes; I heard most of that call and someone was asking for help."

"All right, but it was just another call from Gunn's friends looking for him to come and bail them out again. He has got to choose where he belongs, here with us or with his old friends. I will not have his friends interrupting this office."

Angel was so mad you could almost see smoke coming out of his ears. "You're fired, Wesley. Be out of this hotel by the time I return, and don't come back."

"You can't fire me," Wesley answered looking down his nose at Angel. "I'm the boss now. In case you've forgotten, I make the decisions around here."

Angel rose from his chair and headed for the door. "Well, boss, if you're still in my hotel when I get back, I'm going to kick your ass out myself." Then he yelled to Gunn, "Gunn grab some weapons and let's go."

"Where're we going?" Gunn yelled back as he ran toward the weapons cabinet.

Angel's reply was, "I'll explain on the way." Then he said to Cordelia as he and Gunn headed for the door, "Cordy, go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

This was good news to Cordelia and she headed for her desk to retrieve her purse just as Wesley came out of his office with a stack of books in his arms.

"What's going on, Wesley?"

"It seems that I have been discharged."

"What? We're fired again?"

"Not we, just I."

"You're not making any sense. What happened?"

Wesley proceeded to tell Cordelia about the phone call and the meeting with Angel afterward. He ended by saying, "Apparently Angel overheard the phone conversation and did not approve of the way I handled the situation."

Cordelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you some kind of idiot? Gunn's friends call here for help and you don't even tell him about it? They're his friends and family down there; you can't just decide to let them die."

"They have been calling here for help ever since Gunn gave them that cell phone. I made what I felt was the right decision; apparently you also believe that I was wrong."

Cordelia just looked at him. When she spoke, her voice left no doubt about her feelings about Wesley's decision because she said coldly, "Those guys have called here once in the past two weeks asking for help, and no, I don't **believe** you were wrong. I **know** you were wrong. Gods, Wesley, what in the hell is wrong with you?"

She did not wait for an answer.

Part 2

"Angel, talk to me man; where are we going?" Gunn asked as Angel headed his car in the direction that seemed to be toward Gunn's old neighborhood.

"That call that came in was from one of your boys; they're expecting an attack tonight."

"What? Why didn't Wes say something?"

"I don't know, Gunn."

They were quiet for the rest of the way, each lost in his own thoughts.

As they approached the warehouse where Gunn's crew was staying, they heard a tremendous fight going on. Angel angled the car toward the group of approaching vampires and he and Gunn jumped out of the car and joined the action.

When the fighting was over the vampires that weren't dust had fled into the night; two teenagers lay dead on the ground and several others were badly injured.

"These guys have to go to the hospital, now," Angel said to nobody in particular.

"We can't go to the hospital," a young girl told him; "we don't have money or insurance. They won't take us."

Angel's eyes met Gunn's as Gunn shook his head. "I'll give them what I have and sign for the rest," Gunn told him.

"No, I'll take care of it. Just get the injured into the car." He turned to the others. "Can you secure yourselves in the warehouse and be safe for an hour?" At a nod of heads he said, "I'll be back."

"I'll stay here with them," Gunn said and Angel knew not to argue with him.

On his way back to the warehouse Angel called Gunn's cell and told him to have everyone get all of their belongings and be ready to leave. Forty minutes later Angel was back followed by four taxis. Gunn wondered briefly how much Angel had paid for the taxi drivers to come into this neighborhood at night. He didn't say anything as he loaded all of the kids into the taxis and Angel's car and Angel led them to the Hyperion.

Part 3

When Cordelia arrived at work the next day, she found a note from Angel that told her to take a couple of the older girls and go grocery shopping; the kids would be staying at the hotel for a while.

Angel was up early the next morning; he had some calls to make and a few favors to call in.

After making his calls, he gathered everyone in the ballroom of the hotel. He looked out over the group of innocent faces and wondered, not for the first time since he met Gunn, 'How did we get to the point where kids this young are living in deserted warehouses during the day and fighting vampires at night to survive?'

Cordelia and Gunn saw the look in his eyes and knew he was planning something, they just didn't know what it was. They found out as soon as he started speaking.

"By show of hands, how many of you are under eighteen?"

All except three of the kids raised their hands.

"How many of you did not graduate from elementary school?"

Surprisingly no hands went up.

"All right. I have been on the phone all morning with people that I know who are willing to help. Those of you who are under eighteen, you need to be in school."

There were moans and groans from the floor. Angel raised his hand and the noise stopped.

"If you can pass the GED exam, then you can bypass the rest of high school. If you are eighteen or more and have not graduated from high school, you need to make sure you can get your GED.

"In either case, come September, I want all of you either in high school or taking college courses."

From the floor came the voice of the same little girl who had said that the hospital would not take them. "What about Gunn?"

Angel gave his familiar smirk when he saw the frightened look on Gunn's face. "I think Gunn gets a 'get out of jail free' card."

Everybody laughed when they saw Gunn breathe a loud sigh of relief and run his index finger across his brow.

"Anne, from the Youth Center, is going to receive funding so that the Center can be expanded to accommodate all of you. You may all stay here until the expansion is complete. It should be done before school starts in the Fall. This is not a free ride; all of you will have chores to perform and you will have to do them in order to stay at the Center.

"I will be monitoring your progress closely and your grades will come to me each marking period. I have arranged for classes to be taught here for the rest of the summer and for tutors for those of you who need them. Are there any questions?"

After all questions from the floor were answered, the children were actually smiling until the same inquisitive young girl asked, "Who's going to fight the vampires, if we don't?"

All eyes turned to Angel.

"Gunn and I plus some friends of mine will. I know some pretty good fighters, including a couple of slayers."

"Wow, you know slayers?"

Part 4

Two years later Angel, Cordelia and Gunn attended a high school graduation; two of the boys that he had rescued that night were receiving diplomas.

Together the Scooby Gang and the AI Team eliminated the vamp nests that had been taking over Gunn's old neighborhood. Most of the kids returned home once their neighborhoods were safe again. All of them either graduated from high school or got their GED; some went on to college and a few joined the armed services. Gunn and his girl friend, who eventually became his wife, stayed on with Angel Investigations.

The end

Sequel is 'She Never Forgot'


End file.
